Environment Secretary and Health Secretary today
outlined plans for daily contact testing for the food and drink
industries – and received assurances from industry that problems
were not widespread.
New targeted testing for certain workplaces is being rolled
out - with the food industry prioritised, as part of the
government’s close engagement with the sector.
At a roundtable with supermarket leaders, the government
committed to putting in place actions to support the resilience
of the food supply chain and supermarket leaders downplayed fears
of shortages saying problems were not widespread.
Following clinical trial results, daily contact testing
will be rolled out to critical workplaces in the food supply
chain so that contacts who would otherwise be self-isolating can
instead take daily tests.
Priority testing sites have already been identified with
industry for urgent implementation this week, including the
largest supermarket distribution centres, with rollout to
hundreds of sites planned to start next week, with up to 500
sites in scope.
The move will allow daily testing for staff to take place
so they can continue their vital work to supplying food for the
nation. It will mean all workers who have received NHS Covid 19
app alert to isolate or have been called by Test and Trace will
be able to continue working if they test negative.
Environment Secretary said:
“Food businesses across the country have been the hidden
heroes of the pandemic. We are working closely with industry to
allow staff to go about their essential work safely with daily
testing.
“The last 18 months have demonstrated that we have a highly
resilient food supply chain. There are sufficient food supplies
in the system and people can and should shop as normal.”
Health and Social Care Secretary
said:
“Throughout this global pandemic, workers in our food and
drink sectors have overcome enormous challenges and done
everything they can to keep our shelves stocked and our fridges
full.
“As we manage this virus and do everything we can to break
chains of transmission, daily contact testing of workers in this
vital sector will help to minimise the disruption caused by
rising cases in the coming weeks, while ensuring workers are not
put at risk.”
In addition, the critical worker scheme announced on Monday
applies to critical roles in the food supply chain. Employers are
already in contact with Defra and approvals will follow shortly
for named critical workers to attend their workplaces when
they’re fully vaccinated and the contact of a positive
case.
The government will continue to engage with food sector and
provide all support needed.
Self-isolation is an essential tool for suppressing the
transmission of the virus.
People who have been identified as contacts are at least
five times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than other
members of the public. Vaccines are highly effective at reducing
the risk of serious illness, hospitalisation and death, and we
are encouraging everyone to get the vaccine.
However, even those who are fully vaccinated may still
become infected, including with asymptomatic infection,
potentially passing the disease onto others.
